We are often asked “Can I get more velocity by switching primer types?” The answer is “maybe”. The important thing to know is that changing primer types can alter your load’s performance in many ways — velocity average, velocity variance (ES/SD), accuracy, and pressure. Because there are so many variables involved you can’t really predict whether one primer type is going to be better or worse than another. This will depend on your cartridge, your powder, your barrel, and even the mechanics of your firing pin system.

Interestingly, however, a shooter on another forum did a test with his .308 Win semi-auto. Using Hodgdon Varget powder and Sierra 155gr Palma MatchKing (item 2156) bullets, he found that Wolf Large Rifle primers gave slightly higher velocities than did CCI-BR2s. Interestingly, the amount of extra speed (provided by the Wolfs) increased as charge weight went up, though the middle value had the largest speed variance. The shooter observed: “The Wolf primers seemed to be obviously hotter and they had about the same or possibly better ES average.” See table:

You can’t extrapolate too much from the table above. This describes just one gun, one powder, and one bullet. Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV) as they say. However, this illustration does show that by substituting one component you may see significant changes. Provided it can be repeated in multiple chrono runs, an increase of 19 fps (with the 46.0 grain powder load) is meaningful. An extra 20 fps or so may yield a more optimal accuracy node or “sweet spot” that produces better groups. (Though faster is certainly NOT always better for accuracy — you have to test to find out.)

WARNING: When switching primers, you should exercise caution. More speed may be attractive, but you have to consider that the “speedier” primer choice may also produce more pressure. Therefore, you must carefully monitor pressure signs whenever changing ANY component in a load. Glen Zediker recommends decreasing your load ONE FULL GRAIN when changing to a different primer type, one that you haven’t used before.

It may seem obvious, but you need to be careful when changing primer types for a pet load. Testing with a .308 Win rifle and Varget powder has confirmed that a primer change alone can result in noteworthy changes in muzzle velocity. To get more MV, you’ll need a more energy at some point in the process — and that potentially means more pressure. So exercise caution when changing primer types

We are often asked “Can I get more velocity by switching primer types?” The answer is “maybe”. The important thing to know is that changing primer types can alter your load’s performance in many ways — velocity average, velocity variance (ES/SD), accuracy, and pressure. Because there are so many variables involved you can’t really predict whether one primer type is going to be better or worse than another. This will depend on your cartridge, your powder, your barrel, and even the mechanics of your firing pin system.

Interestingly, however, a shooter on another forum did a test with his .308 Win semi-auto. Using Hodgdon Varget powder and Sierra 155gr Palma MatchKing (item 2156) bullets, he found that Wolf Large Rifle primers gave slightly higher velocities than did CCI-BR2s. Interestingly, the amount of extra speed (provided by the Wolfs) increased as charge weight went up, though the middle value had the largest speed variance. The shooter observed: “The Wolf primers seemed to be obviously hotter and they had about the same or possibly better ES average.” See table:

You can’t extrapolate too much from the table above. This describes just one gun, one powder, and one bullet. Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV) as they say. However, this illustration does show that by substituting one component you may see significant changes. Provided it can be repeated in multiple chrono runs, an increase of 19 fps (with the 46.0 grain powder load) is meaningful. An extra 20 fps or so may yield a more optimal accuracy node or “sweet spot” that produces better groups. (Though faster is certainly NOT always better for accuracy — you have to test to find out.)

WARNING: When switching primers, you should exercise caution. More speed may be attractive, but you have to consider that the “speedier” primer choice may also produce more pressure. Therefore, you must carefully monitor pressure signs whenever changing ANY component in a load.

Wolf Primers at Wideners.com (All In Stock as of 10/17/2013 at 10:00 am ET)

• QQQSR (KVB-223) – Small Rifle: $159/5000
• QQQLR – Large Rifle: $159/5000
• QQQSP – Small Pistol: $159/5000
• QQQSPM – Small Pistol Mag: $159/5000
• QQQLP – Large Pistol: $159/5000
• QQQLPM – Large Pistol Mag: $159/5000

Prices do NOT include shipping and HazMat fees. Wideners says that up to 50,000 primers primers (That’s 10, 5000-count boxes) can go with one hazmat tag.

NOTE: Some shooters prefer the Wolf Small Rifle Magnum primers over the standard Wolf Small Rifle Primers because the cups are harder on the SR Magnum versions. Wideners does NOT currently have the Wolf Small Rifle Magnum primers in stock.

Test Findings: For a multitude of reasons, the test crew determined that Federal brass-cased ammo was “healthier” than steel-cased ammo. The brass-cased ammo shot more accurately, had far fewer malufunctions, and produced less barrel wear. The USA-made brass-cased ammo also showed more consistent velocities. CLICK HERE to READ FULL TEST.

Watch the video below for a summary of results:

Torture Test Procedure
Four types of .223 Rem ammo were tested: Federal brass-cased 55gr FMJBT; Wolf steel-cased (polymer coating) 55gr FMJ; Tula steel-cased (polymer coating) 55gr Bi-Metal Jacket; Brown Bear steel-cased (lacquer coating) 55gr Bi-Metal Jacket. Each ammo type was paired with a specific Bushmaster AR-15. Tests were performed at various round-count stages:

• At the start: record accuracy, velocity, chamber and gas port pressures, make chamber cast
• After 2,000 rounds: record accuracy, velocity
• After 4,000 rounds: record accuracy, velocity
• After 5,000 rounds: record throat erosion, make chamber cast
• After 6,000 rounds: record accuracy, velocity
• After 8,000 rounds: record accuracy, velocity
• After 10,000 rounds: record accuracy, velocity, chamber and gas port pressures, throat erosion, extractor wear, chamber cast, barrel wear, make chamber cast.

During testing, rifles were cleaned according to a preset schedule and temperatures were monitored. After testing, LuckyGunner sectioned the barrels and made careful inspections.

Click the links below for specific data, test results, and conclusions:

• Which ammunition was most reliable?
• Which ammunition was the dirtiest?
• Which performed better, lacquer or polymer coating?
• Which ammunition maintained the highest degree of accuracy throughout the test?
• Which ammunition maintained the most consistent velocity throughout the test?
• Which ammunition caused the most throat, barrel, and extractor erosion/wear?
• What effect did the powder burn rates have on bolt cycling?
• How did the pressure at the gas port vary by ammunition type?
• How did the pressure at the chamber vary by ammunition type?
• Which is cheaper to use, after considering all the costs?

During the testing process, all malfunctions of each rifle-ammo combination were logged. The brass-cased Federal ammo was the clear winner: Federal: 10,000 rounds, 0 malfunctions. Brown Bear: 10,000 rounds, 9 malfunctions (5 stuck cases, 1 mag-related failure to feed, 3 failures to cycle.) Wolf: 10,000 rounds, 15 malfunctions (stuck cases) Tula: DNF (6,000 rounds in alternate carbine, 3 malfunctions)

Barrel Wear and Throat Erosion
Some of the barrels didn’t make it to 10,000 rounds: “The steel cased/bimetal jacketed ammunition caused accelerated wear to the inside of their respective bores. While the barrel of the Federal carbine had plenty of life left, even after 10,000 rounds … the Wolf and Brown Bear barrels … were completely shot out by 6,000 rounds. At the end of the test, the chrome lining of the Wolf and Brown Bear barrels was almost gone from the throat forward, and the barrels had effectively become smoothbores[.] A throat erosion gauge could be dropped into the bore from the muzzle end with absolutely no resistance.”

SK Ammo — Made by the Folks Who Make Wolf
What to do? Here’s a tip — if you like Wolf Match, try the SK match ammo. SK Jagd Munitions actually manufactures Wolf Match ammo. The gold-box, SK-brand ammo is made in the same German plant as Wolf , and testing shows SK can deliver the same accuracy and reliability as Wolf. The SK Standard Plus is the equivalent of Wolf Match Target, while the SK Rifle Match is the equivalent of Wolf Match Extra. SK offers a wide range of rimfire match ammo at affordable prices. Here are current offerings at Champion Shooters Supply:

SK Rifle Match: $7.90 (50-rd box)
SK Pistol Match: $6.00 (50-rd box)
SK Standard Plus: $5.00 (50-rd box)
SK HiVelocity: $6.50 (50-rd box)
SK HiVelocity SPC: $6.50 (50-rd box)
SK Subsonic: $6.50 (50-rd box)

USER REVIEWS from MidwayUSA:

SK Rifle Match:
“I’ve tried over 20 different brands of match .22LR in my Anschutz 1907 including the various Wolf, RWS, Aquila, Lapua, and Eley loadings and the SK Match was one of the best. It was VERY consistent. 10 shot groups of 0.25″ to 0.3″ are the norm at 50 yards. Unlike most of the other less expensive ‘match’ ammo, the SK has yet to throw a bad flyer in 500 rounds. The Eley Tenex Ultimate EPS and Match EPS gave similar results. I consider the SK Match to be the best value for my rifle.” — D. Fletcher, TN

SK Standard Plus::
“I bought this because the Wolf MT is getting hard to find. This is the same ammo as the Wolf. I tried it in all my rifles and get about the same groups as the Wolf. Had no problems with this ammo and recommend it highly.” — H. Disharoon, VA

“Oh No — The secret’s out! For an exceptional price, this is absolutely the best .22 target ammo. I use it mainly in my Custom Ruger 10/22. CZ 452s just love this stuff. A majority of the silhouette shooters at my club use ‘SK Std Plus’ during matches and practice. I have shot cases of this stuff and can only count very few fliers.” — J. Batterton, AR

BULLET Specials
Z-Max Varmint Bullets
Hornady Z-Max bullets on “Pre-Order Special”. These are basically V-Max bullets with a green tip. It’s a heck of a deal at 20-25% less than the standard V-Max bullets and they are offered in 500-count boxes.

Hornady Free Box of Bullets with Purchase of 1000 Bullets
Order 1000 V-Max bullets and receive a free box of Hornady .224 55gr V-Max (100 ct) bullets. Order 1000 Match or A-Max bullets and receive a free box of Hornady .308 168gr BTHP Match (100 ct) bullets.

Nosler Bullet Sale
Nosler Partitions are still on sale at a 25% Discount.

AMMO Specials
PVI Closeout Special on Wolf Ammunition
All Wolf Rifle Ammunition is $5.00 per box (of 20).
All Wolf Pistol Ammunition is $12.00 per box.
(Pistol ammo mostly out of stock.)

Hornady SWAG Offer
Order 3 boxes of Hornady Superformance Ammunition and receive a free Hornady hat. Order 10 boxes of Hornady Rifle Ammunition and receive a free weathered long-sleeve shirt.

Free Hazmat and Free Shipping with Order of 10,000 or More Primers
Here’s the deal. If you purchase at least 5,000 TulAmmo primers, Powder Valley will provide free shipping, but you still incur a hazmat charge. If you buy 10,000 TulAmmo primers (two) cases, you can get free shipping AND Powder Valley will pay the hazmat fee for your primers and up to 40 lbs. of additional total product.

Bryan of Powder Valley explains: “We discontinued this special January 1, 2011, but we have gotten so many requests for it we are bringing it back. We have had a tremendous amount of positive feedback regarding the Tula primers. So far we have sold over 20 million of the Tula primers. Feedback has been 100% positive.” Powder Valley plans to offer this special bulk pricing through the end of February, subject to product availability. So, when supplies run out the special deals may be halted. You should get your orders in soon, to take advantage of this deal. Terms of promo listed below:

TulAmmo Primer Specials for 5k and 10K Orders

FREE FREIGHT AND FREE HAZMAT: Order two or more cases (10,000) of Tula primers and Powder Valley will ship to you free. That’s right, no freight, no hazmat, no insurance. You can add up to 40 lbs. of additional product to your order. (Does not include media or shot)

FREE FREIGHT: Order one or more case (5,000) of Tula primers and Powder Valley will ship to you freight free (but you pay hazmat). You can add up to 45 lbs. of additional product to your order under the same hazmat charge of $25.00. Insurance is $0.50 per $100. (Does not include media or shot)

TulAmmo offers Non-corrosive Boxer primers, Lead-free non-corrosive Boxer primers, and Non-corrosive Berdan primers in all popular sizes including small rifle, small rifle military, small rifle magnum, large rifle, large rifle military, and large rifle magnum. There is even a special .50 BMG primer. Product codes are listed in the chart below. For more info, visit the TulAmmo USA website.

Powder Valley Facebook Page Has Updates and Specials
When new product shipments arrive, Powder Valley (PV) provides timely updates on PV’s Facebook Page. Be the first on your block to learn about powders, primers, and bullets as soon as they arrive.

Powder Valley has been posting updates every couple of days, so check the PV Facebook page often to stay “in the know”. You can also call Powder Valley at (800) 227-4299 for updates or to order.

NOTE: Product availability and pricing subject to immediate change. If you need primers, act quickly — this stuff may all be gone in a couple days.

Powder Valley
CCI BR4 SMALL RIFLE BENCHREST primers — IN STOCK at $37.00 per 1000 primers
CCI 400 SMALL RIFLE primers — IN STOCK at $24.00 per 1000 primers
CCI 450 SMALL RIFLE primers — IN STOCK at $24.00 per 1000 primers
CCI BR2 LRG RIFLE BENCHREST primers — IN STOCK at $37.00 per 1000 primers
WOLF SMALL RIFLE MAGNUM primers — IN STOCK at $25.50 per 1000 primers
WOLF LARGE RIFLE PRIMERS — IN STOCK at $25.50 per 1000 primers

Grafs.com
CCI BR2 LRG RIFLE BENCHREST primers — IN STOCK at $202.00 per 5000 primers

Bruno Shooters Supply
CCI BR4 SMALL RIFLE BENCHREST primers — IN STOCK at $59.95 per 1000 primers
CCI 400 SMALL RIFLE primers — IN STOCK at $44.95 per 1000 primers
CCI 5.56 SMALL RIFLE primers — IN STOCK at $44.95 per 10000 primers
REM 9.5 LARGE RIFLE primers — IN STOCK at $44.96 per 1000 primers.
WOLF SMALL RIFLE MAGNUM primers — IN STOCK at $26.95 per 1000 primers
WOLF LARGE RIFLE PRIMERS are IN STOCK at $26.95 per 1000 primers